Anyone else get this? I have these dry, almost-scabby, rug-burn type spots on both forarms from my aero pads (bars are Vision mini TT clip-ons).
Any way to prevent this? Changing out the aerobars is not an option; I am otherwise happy with them and my race is coming up soon.
Change the pads. Move the pads forward or backwards. Other than that, I have no clue.
arm warmers, or as mentioned new pads. was it from riding in the rain or is this a daily issue?
Your skin may be adjusting from the moist tropical air of Miami, to the dryer air of Austin. After you acclimate a little better you may be OK. Also try the DeSoto arm coolers if arm warmers are to hot.
Daily - or at least on long rides. Happens with and without arm warmers. Happens inside on the trainer. Happens outside in the rain.
I think the front edge of the pads is chafing my arm.
whoa, arm coolers? I’ve never heard of them. Anyone use those? I wonder how much of a difference it makes
many possibilites.
salt in sweat combining with friction.
too much pressure on your forearms from the mini bars.
but it sounds a lot like an allergic reaction to a latex-based rubber compound in the foam. many many people react to latex-based materials, ask any nurse at any hospital. and moisture, salt, and rubbing can really bring this on. if i recall (examining the mini vision bars at my LBS), vision uses some kind of latex foam as the forearm padding.
you can test this allergy theory by putting a thicker plastic bag over the foam. then cover that with a clean cotton t-shirt rag. secure all with big rubber bands. it will look ugly, but it will allow you to see what is causing the probem (process of elimination). ride for weeks, see if your problem gets better, worse, or stays the same. but might be tough with a race coming up soon.
Possible latex allergy… I have an extreme allergy to medical-grade adhesives like those used on steri-strips and requires transfusions if I am exposed to a small amount of certain adhesives. Not sure exactly what ingredient it is that causes it though. Although I’ve never had problems with swim caps or rubber gloves or anything… ???
Although, this isn’t rashy at all. It’s more scabby or callous-like… gee, this is appealing…
hard to say, as i am not a dermatologist. but i do know that i have reacted to latex in gloves, but only in certain circumstances after long term exposure, and experts have explained to me that once one reacts, your sensitivity is elevated to latex (or the active ingredient in latex) in many forms. and i would say your previous reaction does indeed point in that direction. also, possible that you are reacting to a compound in the adhesive used to bond the foam to whatever is holding it (velcro, metal, etc.).
I believe that the Visiontech mini aerobars use the thinnest pads of the 3 types of pads that Vision makes. You might want to try swapping out for the thicker plusher pads that are supplied on their TT clip-ons. I have used them with no problems.
Footwerx
cerveloguy can hook you up with a company that sells after-market thick pads.
If all else fails, try copious amounts of BodyGlide on your forearms.
Don’t your pads just kind of drop off at the edges like a cliff? My pads taper off at the edges and I never have problem with it. If your pads do drop off like a cliff, I’m betting that it’s a chaffing issue. Try replacing the pads and see what happens.
I have the cliff-type pads.
I put some diaper rash cream on the chafed spot and it seems to be helping…